Impress Watch reports that Japanese carrier KDDI will include in its fall lineup a business-oriented Android 3.2 "Honeycomb" tablet that's shock-resistant, splash-resistant and and dust-resistant. The device will be manufactured by Asus, but so far there's no indication of when or if this durable tablet will find its way over to the States.
According to the specs, the Asus TOUGH-ETBW11AA will sport a 7-inch (1280 x 800) touchscreen, a 1 GHz Tegra 2 dual-core SoC from Nvidia, 16 GB of internal storage, a microSD slot for expanding its capacity for an additional 32 GB, 4G WiMAX and CDMA/EVDO Rev. A support, a 5MP front-facing camera, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, Bluetooth and a 7,400 mAh battery.
As for the tablet's promised "ruggedness," it will reportedly feature IPX4-grade splash-resistance -- meaning it can't be immersed (IPX7) or submersed (IPX8) in water. The Asus tablet will also feature IP5X-grade dust resistance and the ability to withstand a 2.5-foot drop onto concrete. Impressive.
The drawback, based on images provided by Impress Watch, seems to be that the tablet will be bulkier than typical 7-inch tablets on the market. The site said that the tablet measures approximately 8.46 x 5.19 x 0.78-inches overall, and 0.87-inches at is thickest point.
The Asus TOUGH-ETBW11AA is expected to arrive in Japan this November "or later" for an undisclosed price. Expect to hear more about the device in the coming months in regards to possible international shipments, as the CDMA support could mean that Verizon Wireless may offer this tablet at some point in the future. Or not.
